There have been many different types and kinds of personal computers that include a computer processor unit, a keyboard input device, a video monitor, and peripheral devices, such as printers. While such personal computers have become popular and are widely used, it would be highly desirable to enable the user to review quickly all input data to the computer processor unit, in as rapid a manner as possible. For example, when computer programs are composed, a computer programmer ordinarily causes a paper copy of the coded listing of commands to be printed out, before going over them. Therefore, it would be highly desirable to have a technique for accessing such previously entered information electronically in a very quick and simple manner, without the necessity of having to refer to a listing printed on paper.
Various computer programs are often used throughout the day on a personal computer, for processing information--both text and data. It would be highly desirable to view on a screen all information, regardless of the applications program used to enter the data over a particular period of time, such as an eight hour interval. In this respect, it would be desirable to have an arrangement enabling a user to review the day's work rapidly in order to observe and then retrieve particular portions of data, without the problems commonly associated with doing so.
Consider, for example, some common existing information retrieval problems. For a given applications program, computers often presents previously entered text to the operator, as rapidly scrolled data that disappears off the top of the screen. Recall of the text usually involves specific keyboard operations that are inconvenient and somewhat time consuming.
It is difficult to read information that extends beyond one display screen, since part of the information disappears off the top of the screen to make room for the remaining data.
Moreover, most display screens on personal computers (e.g., the IBM PC) display a scroll of one line of data or text at a time, making it difficult to read as it scrolls.
In a word processing application program, much printer paper is wasted because the user of a word processor program often performs lengthy printouts, only to find that the page breaks in the document did not occur exactly where they were desired, and thus the operation must be repeated.
It is often necessary to print out only a selected portion of a document prepared on a computer. Some, but not all, word processor programs have this capability, but the capability is present only if the word processor program is executing. It would be much more convenient to have this capability no matter what program was executing.
It is often desirable to view a portion of one document simultaneously with a portion of another document, or two portions of the same document, for comparison purposes. Although this feature is available in some word processor programs, it is not generally available in many other programs. Thus, it would be highly desirable to have simultaneous view capability for all programs being executed, even if the programs themselves are not designed to provide such simultaneous viewing features.
Certain software development methods require that the programmer make a printed listing to allow correlation of diagnostic information appearing on the computer screen with the program listing. The printout is often time consuming, and its results are only of transient value. Hence, fast viewing of data previously entered or displayed, would be highly advantageous.
Some computer programs run lengthy data reduction tasks, and display error messages on the computer screen. If the error messages fill the screen, they usually scroll off the top, and are missed unless the operator watches the screen during the entire data reduction process. Even then, the messages might scroll off the screen too rapidly to be read. It would be preferable to allow the computer program to run unattended, and then be able to easily recall the error messages, even if they occupied many screens of information.
When learning to operate a new computer program, a novice user is often confused by what is happening because he cannot remember what he typed as commands, or what prompts were given by the program earlier in the session. For this reason, it would be highly beneficial to a user, to be able to view all previously entered and displayed data, even though several application programs were employed, in a fast and convenient manner.
When reviewing data received "on-line" from a modem, it is often cumbersome to find desired sections of the text by using the editing program provided by the telecommunications software (if editing capability is provided at all). Thus, the ability to view previously received text or data in a rapid, "user friendly" manner, would be a real advantage to the user.
In general, there has been no known universal technique to view all text or data in the computer previously entered over a long period of time, such as an eight hour period, regardless of the program or programs used. However, a technique for accomplishing same, would be highly desirable.
Consequently, it would be highly desirable to have a video monitoring system wherein:
1. Information that has scrolled off the computer screen could be instantly recallable and viewable, without disturbing the present information on the computer screen;
2. Side-by-side displays could be made of two documents, or of two sections of the same document for any software program;
3. All information previously entered over a given interval of time, could be retrieved and displayed much more quickly and easily than most prior known computers and programs allow;
4. The computer could be left unattended while a program is run, and all entered information produced by the program, could later be quickly and easily reviewable after program completion, including all information scrolled off the top of the display:
5. The computer user could be able to view a document exactly as it is formatted on the printed page, before starting the time consuming task of printing the document, so that adjustments in page breaks or other last minute editing can be achieved prior to printing;
6. The user could be able to manually control both fine positioning and rapid scrolling with equal ease of all previously entered information, in either direction;
7. A computer operator, while learning the operation of a computer or computer program, could recall easily all questions and responses that appeared on the display screen, to facilitate the user's recollection of what was displayed previously; and
8. All of the foregoing features should be obtainable, regardless of the specific program or programs previously run over a given interval of time.